This Winterreise is the final instalment of Matthias Goerne’s series of Schubert lieder for Harmonia Mundi and it brings the Matthias Goerne Schubert Edition, begun in 2008, to a dark, harrowing close.

We see the characters first in two boxes at an opera house. The five singers share a box and stare at the stage. But Konstanze’s eye is caught by a man in a box opposite: Bassa Selim (actor Tobias Moretti), who stares steadily at her and broods in voiceover at having lost her, his inspiration.

Richard Strauss may be most closely associated with the soprano voice but
this recording of a selection of the composer’s lieder by baritone Thomas
Hampson is a welcome reminder that the rapt lyricism of Strauss’s settings
can be rendered with equal beauty and character by the low male voice.

Bernarda Fink’s recording of Gustav Mahler’s Lieder is an important new release that includes outstanding performances of the composer’s well-known songs, along with compelling readings of some less-familiar ones.

This live performance of Laurent Pelly’s Glyndebourne staging of
Humperdinck’s affectionately regarded fairy tale opera, was recorded at
Glyndebourne Opera House in July and August 2010, and the handsomely produced
disc set — the discs are presented in a hard-backed, glossy-leaved book and
supplemented by numerous production photographs and an informative article by
Julian Johnson — is certainly stylish and unquestionably recommendable.

Recorded at a live performance in 2012, this CD brings together an eclectic
selection of turn-of-the-century orchestral songs and affirms the extraordinary
versatility, musicianship and technical accomplishment of mezzo-soprano
Magdalena Kožená.

Once I was: Songs by Ricky Ian Gordon features an assortment of
songs by Ricky Ian Gordon interpreted by soprano Stacey Tappan, a longtime
friend of the composer since their work on his opera Morning Star at
the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Alfredo Kraus, one of the most astute artists in operatic history in terms of careful management of technique and vocal resources, once said in an interview that ‘you have to make a choice when you start to sing and decide whether you want to service the music, and be at the top of your art, or if you want to be a very popular tenor.’

In the thirty-five years immediately following its American première at the Metropolitan Opera in 1914, Italo Montemezzi’s ‘Tragic Poem in Three Acts’ L’amore dei tre re was performed in New York on sixty-six occasions.

Known principally for its two concert show-pieces for the leading lady, the success of Francesco Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur relies upon finding a soprano willing to take on, and able to pull off, the eponymous role.

It would be condescending and perhaps even offensive to suggest that singing
traditional Spirituals is a rite a passage for artists of color, but the musical heritage of the United States has been greatly enriched by the performances and recordings of Spirituals by important artists such as Paul Robeson, Marian Anderson, Leontyne Price, Martina Arroyo, Shirley Verrett, Grace Bumbry, Jessye Norman, Barbara Hendricks, Florence Quivar, Kathleen Battle, Harolyn Blackwell, and Denyce Graves.

As a companion to their excellent Great Wagner Singers boxed set
compiled and released in celebration of the Wagner Bicentennial, Deutsche
Grammophon have also released Great Wagner Conductors, a selection of
orchestral music conducted by five of the most iconic Wagnerian conductors of
the Twentieth Century, extracted from Deutsche Grammophon’s extensive
archives.

Traditional productions of Aida can become so encumbered with faux-Egyptian bric-brac and gaudy pageantry that the human heart of the story lies smothered underneath. For some, then, Wilson's approach cleanses the time-worn body of Verdi's masterpiece. For others, the bathwater may not be missed - but where's the baby?

OpusArte's DVD release of Wilson's Aida production at La Monnaie-De Munt from October 2004 will not be likely to add further converts to the store of Wilson fans. For whatever reason, the performers seem to be a rehearsal or two away from full comfort (if such is possible) with Wilsons' style. The close-up perspectives provided by the cameras reveal awkward countenances of forced concentration, as the singers try to remember at what uncomfortable angle their arms should should fold into next, or when to indicate a higher pitch of passion by twirling once. Wilson can be counted on to create at least a few moments of austere beauty, and those occur here too. But too often the blue pallor of the lighting suggests an Aida drained of its life-blood.

No fault for this lies with conductor Kazushi Ono, who guides the Monnaie forces through a lucid, detailed reading. In fact, the sheer energy and vitality of Verdi's score forces Wilson to actually allowing his singer/actors some more natural movement at times, with Ildiko Komlosi in particular taking the opportunity to unlock herself from a contorted pose and express Amneris's growing rage and frustration. As Amonasro, Mark Doss also manages to sing with such force (if not beauty) that he seems to have wandered in from a different production - at least until the ludicrous staging of the end of act three, when instead of fleeing he must follow the director's wishes and "glide" off the stage as the priest's guards stand immobile.

The best of the show comes at the end, in a scene often clumsy to stage in a traditional production. Radames and Aida do not find themselves in an actual tomb, but on a darkened stage, with eerie blue lights on their faces. This haunting spectral image serves as potent reminder of the latent power of an effective Wilson production - which most of the rest of this Aida does not.

Not helping matters, the three leads' singing fails to add any substantial insight or beauty to the proceedings. Norma Fantini stretches to encompass the demands of the title role, and the effort is felt too often. Marco Berti has a large, handsome voice, but one lacking true character. Not known as an actor in any staging, Berti's work here indicates that Wilson still needs some sort of vocal characterization to accompany his uniform approach to acting. Komlosi has the passion, as described above; the voice itself comes across as slightly worn and edgy.

Among the many other DVD versions of Aida, two especially come to mind as "antidotes," if you will, to the Wilson style. Franco Zefferelli leads a cast of very young singers in an intimate production from Verdi's hometown theater of Busetto. And from the 1980s in Verona comes a high-calorie staging, with a strong cast relishing the chance to eat into every square inch of granite scenery. Only the most confirmed Wilson devotees will find much to enjoy in this Monnaie version, however.